An A&E patient was forced to wait nine hours for a bed at James Cook University Hospital bed at the weekend.

It comes amid “unprecedented demand” on NHS hospitals, with doctors fearing the service is at breaking point - and that lives are at risk.

The South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Middlesbrough’s James Cook, has reiterated calls for patients who don’t need emergency care to seek help away from A&E.

“Like many trusts, our A&E departments are busy at the moment but we do have plans in place to deal with such demand,” said a trust spokeswoman.

“At times these pressures do, unfortunately, lead to patients waiting longer than we would aim for, although patients who are delayed like this are still under the care of our doctors and nurses and regularly monitored.

“Over the weekend we did have a patient who waited nine hours for a hospital bed, which is clearly something we try to avoid and would not want for anyone in our care, but we are working hard to ensure that, despite the high demand on beds, patients are not left waiting for hours and during this time still receive excellent care.”

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Figures obtained by the Gazette show that, on average, a patient visited James Cook’s A&E department every five minutes last weekend.

The trust say this “fairly typical”. The average waiting time over the weekend was two hours and 38 minutes.

However the heat is being turned up on Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt after his department insisted he was “committed” to hospital’s meeting the Government’s four-hour A&E target.

Outside A&E at James Cook University Hospital (Image: Sarah Walker)

The policy’s aim is that 95% of patients are seen within four hours.

So far this month, South Tees’ running at 91%, making it the sixth best performing trust nationally.

But across the UK, trusts are facing enormous pressure.

Earlier this month, 42 overstretched A&E departments were forced to divert ambulances to other hospitals as they struggled to cope.

These pressures resulted in two British patients dying undignified deaths on hospital trolleys - one of whom spent 35 hours waiting for a bed - amid medics claims the service was in an “acute state of distress”.

The minister claims 30% of A&E patients don’t need to be there, although James Cook staff told the Gazette that figure was closer to half.

In one case before Christmas, one patient visited the Middlesbrough hospital with a broken finger nail.

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Labour MPs are set to stage a full-day debate on a motion demanding an NHS rescue package while locally, trust bosses say the only patients they want to see in hospital beds are those who need it,

“Our aim is to ensure only patients who really require a hospital bed are admitted,” added a spokesperson.

Outside A&E at James Cook University Hospital (Image: Doug Moody)

“We will discharge patients, where appropriate, with additional support, ask for reviews by GPs or bring patients into the ambulatory care unit for any ongoing treatment.

“All A&E patients continue to be seen and treated in order of clinical priority and our focus continues to be on providing safe emergency care.

“We would ask the public to assist us during this busy time by choosing the most appropriate services for their needs, including pharmacies, their own GP or NHS 111 who may refer to an out of hours GP service if appropriate.